As a new ham mainly interested in CW (currently doing 20-25 wpm) I am looking for a first rig. I am thinking of new TS-480 with CW+SSB filters but for the same price I can have used TS-2000. What do you thing would be more competent rig?

As a new ham mainly interested in CW (currently doing 20-25 wpm) I am looking for a first rig. I am thinking of new TS-480 with CW+SSB filters but for the same price I can have used TS-2000. What do you thing would be more competent rig?

Tnx, B

The 480 with optional filters is a much better rig than 2000 which uses very primitive and dated DSP. I own a 480 with 1.9kc SSB and 500hz CW filters installed and can vouch for its performance. I would suggest 500 vs 270hz filter because 500 works well for RTTY, Olivia, Domino and a few other modes. Also the filters have steep skirts and 500 is 60db down at 900hz width unlike some DSP that looks good at 500hz but is 2kc or more wide at only 50db down

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I think the DSP on both of those rigs is of the audio variety. Honestly, for CW work, I would want a 500Hz filter on either one. So, if the choice is 480 with filter or 2k without, I'd go with the 480.

I use a TS480SAT with a 500 Hz CW filter, it's quite good but the remote head unit is not to everyone's taste. Mine is mostly used "car portable", where the separate head unit is ideal.

At home the '480 never gets used. I am mostly a CW operator and prefer either my Elecraft K3 or home made separates. Elecraft or Ten Tec are the radios of choice for many dedicated CW operators, most other makes seem to favour SSB with CW a secondary consideration.

Tnx all for your input and opinion. It seems to me that according to experience you have and the price range my XYL established, the TS-480 is the rig for me I'd love to have the TS-590 but on the other hand it's 30% over my budget.

Thank you all again and vy 73 de S59GI - hope to hear you all on the band.

Consider, 30% over your budget...... understandable, but you'll be doing thing only once! 30% is much less than half again over budget....... worthy of serious consideration. Peanut butter sandwiches ARE food......

I turned down buying an almost new, full-dressed Harley, that was worth $18,000 because the $9,000 he wanted was slightly "over-budget." I still look for a puke bucket every time I think of that one!

Tnx all for your input and opinion. It seems to me that according to experience you have and the price range my XYL established, the TS-480 is the rig for me I'd love to have the TS-590 but on the other hand it's 30% over my budget.

Thank you all again and vy 73 de S59GI - hope to hear you all on the band.

When comparing the cost between the TS-480 and TS-590 are you including the extra cost for the optional CW and SSB filter for the TS-480? Your are looking to spend an additional $250 for the two filters and even then once installed they are fixed bandwidth vs the TS-590's variable band width. Furthermore the TS-590 has very effective roofing filters which I am almost sure the TS-480 doesn't have. The TS-590 is a very good buy if you can stretch a little. However, if you capped at around $1000, a TS-480 is the one to get. Even without the optional filters, the built-in AF filters are very effective.

I've owned the 590 since December 2011. The price has dropped on new 590's and used are also available. The 590 can be updated by installing new firmware. With either radio you'll need to purchase a power supply, if you intend to use it at home. I chose a Astron supply. First, because Aston supplies are a proven winner and second but to me even more important, the matching Kenwood supply for the 590 is a switching unit and the Astron I bought (RS-35M) is a linear supply and barely gets warm even when it's being used under contest conditions. There are no fans so the supply is silent.

The Kenwood is being sold at $1,435 new and used they're going for $1250. On the other hand the 480 is about $1,000 and can be had in a 200 watts version. I had fixed filters in my old 430 (I used a 400 hz CW filter, not the 500 Hz kenwood filter) and I worked many stations with it. My current 590 is set to 400 Hz for wide CW and 80 Hz for narrow and there are times that the narrow filtering makes a major difference if you want to find clear spaces to work stations (DXPeditions) on a crowded band.

Why not the TS-590S? The TS-590 has a better DSP, so you don't need to buy the filter extra. The DSP is on the IF, and the receiver is superior.

I have played 480 and 590 side by side and there is no big real world difference between the receivers so not big edge here. If you have 500 hz filter in 480 it can keep up with 590 pretty much and it has a remote head which 590 does not. The 590 is a good rig but it just not much of a upgrade over 480 like it is over 570.

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--------------------------------------You can embrace new technology and change with it or cling tightly to old technology and fall further behind everyday....

Thank you all for your suggestions. Of course I can understand all the talking about TS-590 etc. and I can agree about buying only once, however as WB2WIK kindly pointed out I am from S5 and there is not much choice on used market and prices are much higher (ieg. 2045USD for TS-590) than in USA. I've seen only one TS590 on used market in our country.I was asking because there is a chance to get a TS-2000 for around 1300USD or buy new TS-480 for the same amount but with CW and SSB filters included. From all comments I still believe the TS-480 is the way to go for me, so tnx again es 73 de S59GI.

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